Forsyth Herald — March 11, 2021

M a r c h 1 1 , 2 0 2 1 | Fo r s y t h H e r a l d . c o m | A n A p p e n M e d i a G r o u p P u b l i c a t i o n | 5 0 ¢ | Vo l u m e 2 4 , N o . 1 0

Lanier Tech to host vaccination events

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Developer withdraws annexation request

ETHICS PANEL ISSUES WARNING TO COMMISSIONER The Forsyth County Ethics Panel found County Commissioner Todd Levent violated ethics codes last year by obtaining emails from another commissioner’s account without submitting an Open Records Request. The panel, which could have removed Levent from office or issued a censure for the violations, instead opted to draft a written warning to the commissioner. In a 2-1 vote, the Ethics Panel ruled Levent had breached public trust and failed to uphold laws of the United States, the state and county. Read more, Page 3

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Lawmakers debate school vouchers

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2 | March 11, 2021 | Forsyth Herald | ForsythHerald.com

POLICE BLOTTER 770-442-3278 | ForsythHerald.com 319 N. Main Street, Alpharetta, GA 30009 PUBLISHER EMERITUS: Ray Appen PUBLISHER: Hans Appen MANAGING EDITOR: Patrick Fox EDITORIAL QUESTIONS: Alpharetta-Roswell Herald: Alpharetta: ext. 118, Roswell ext. 122 Dunwoody Crier: ext. 143 Forsyth Herald: ext. 118 Johns Creek Herald: ext. 123 Milton Herald: ext. 139 Calendar: ext. 122 TO SUBMIT EDITORIAL: News/Press Releases: NorthFulton.com/Sponsored Calendar/Events: NorthFulton.com/Calendar ADVERTISING QUESTIONS: General Advertising: ext. 100 advertising@appenmediagroup.com Classified Advertising: ext. 119 classifieds@appenmediagroup.com Circulation/Subscriptions/Delivery: ext. 100 circulation@appenmediagroup.com OUR PUBLICATIONS: Alpharetta-Roswell Herald: 28,000 circulation Johns Creek Herald: 20,000 circulation Dunwoody Crier: 18,000 circulation Forsyth Herald: 17,000 circulation Milton Herald: 10,000 circulation Answer Book: 40,000 circulation

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All crime reports published by Appen Media Group are compiled from public records. Neither the law enforcement agencies nor Appen Media Group implies any guilt by publishing these names. None of the persons listed has been convicted of the alleged crimes.

Angry customer charged after incident with clerk FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Deputies were dispatched to Atlanta Road on Feb. 20 after a disgruntled customer at Vapors Emporium had an altercation with a store employee.

According to the Sheriff’s Office, Daniel Boone Studenic, 60, tried to return an item. The Cumming man became irate when a store clerk told him the store had a no-return policy.

Studenic then allegedly grabbed items off the display case on the counter and tried to storm out. That provoked a fight with the clerk and sent Studenic to a hospital to be treated for injuries. Deputies charged him with battery and theft by taking.

Studenic turned himself in at the Forsyth County Jail on Feb. 23 and was released on $3,945 bail.

Report says Grayson man stole child support check FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — A Grayson man was arrested Feb. 23 after he deposited a friend’s child support check into his bank account.

Deputies said the victim gave the check to his ex-wife and reported the alleged fraud in January after Christopher Wayne Gant deposited it to his account.

Gant, 30, a friend of the man’s exwife’s has been assisting her with household chores. Deputies said Gant stole the check from the woman and signed his name on it. Reports did not indicate the amount of the check.

Deputies charged Gant with identity fraud. He was picked up from the Gwinnett County Jail and transported to Forsyth County’s lockup.

PUBLIC SAFETY

Deputies arrest driver found with stolen gun

FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Deputies reported finding marijuana and a stolen gun in a Stone Mountain man’s car during a Feb. 24 traffic stop along Franklin Goldmine Road.

Adrian Lamont Butts, 50, was charged with possession of marijuana over 1 ounce, theft by receiving stolen property, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, possession of open alcohol container by driver and failure to maintain lane.

According to the Sheriff’s Office, a deputy stopped Butts’ Toyota Camry after noticing the car swerving on the roadway. The deputy reported noticing the scent of marijuana and spotted a beer can sticking out from under the driver’s seat. That gave officers probable cause to search the vehicle, according to deputies.

In the trunk, officers found a bag with a “large quantity” of pot, a digital scale and a loaded handgun that had been reported stolen out of Cobb County.

Authorities make arrest in warehouse burglary FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — A Cumming man suspected of stealing $25,000 worth of lumber and equipment last month from the Blastec manufacturing warehouse was arrested Feb. 28 on Ga. 400.

Deputies investigated a Feb. 14 burglary in which a man drove to the back side of the Blastec factory on Atlanta Highway and loaded a truckload of equipment that included a firewood processor. Deputies indicated the processor, manufactured in Canada, was the lone such piece of equipment in Georgia.

The suspect unloaded the truck then returned to the factory 20 minutes later and was “spooked” by the owner, who’d arrived to the scene by then, according to deputies.

Investigators tracked the truck and took Marko Todorovic, 30, into custody.

He was charged with second-degree burglary and theft by taking.

DUI arrests Timothy Blake Sherman, 55, of North Gwinnett Street, Buford, was arrested Feb. 10 on Dawsonville Highway for possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug-related objects.

Juan Carlos Merino Antunez, 34, of Pleasant Grove Road, Cumming, was arrested Feb. 11 on Keith Bridge Road for DUI and failure to maintain lane.

Wamunyima Ikasaya cq, 37, of Landmark Lane, Cumming, was arrested Feb. 11 on Ga. 400 for DUI and failure to maintain lane.

Jose Alfredo Martinez, 23, of Browns Bridge Road, Cumming, was arrested Feb. 11 on East Courthouse Square for DUI and failure to maintain lane.

Kyle Wellington Olsen, 33, of Wright Bridge Road, Cumming, was arrested Feb. 11 on Ga. 400 for DUI, failure to maintain lane and possession of alcohol container by driver.

George Yen-Win Lin, 28, of Ivy Summit Court, Cumming, was arrested Feb. 11 on Peachtree Parkway for DUI. Sterling Jamaal Dix, 24, of Springberry Court, Alpharetta, was arrested Feb. 11 on Peachtree Parkway for DUI, possession of marijuana and improper turn.

Timothy Brad King, 43, of Black Mountain Road, Dahlonega, was arrested Feb. 12 on Atlanta Road for DUI and failure to obey traffic control devices.

Casey Matthew Samples, 37, of Dawson Forest Road E, Dawsonville, was arrested Feb.12 on Browns Bridge Road for possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug related objects, possession of marijuana, possession of firearm or knife during commission of a felony, See ARRESTS, Page 18

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Panel rules commissioner violated ethics code, issues warning Board finds Levent breached public trust

By JOE PARKER joe@appenmediagroup.com FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — The Forsyth County Ethics Panel ruled March 2 that Board of Commissioners representative Todd Levent violated the county’s code of ethics last year in obtaining emails through another commissioner’s county email account.

The three-member panel opted to issue Levent a written warning for the violations. Its other options were to issue a censure or reprimand, or remove him from office.

In a 2-1 vote, the panel found Levent breached two stipulations of the county’s code of ethics —”Upholding the Constitution, laws and regulations of the United States, the State of Georgia, the County of Forsyth, and all governments therein…” and that he engaged in conduct “which is unbecoming to a member or which constitutes a breach of public trust.”

Commissioner Laura Semanson, who served as chair to the Board of Commissioners during the time of the incident, was charged by fellow board members to act as the complainant.

The panel’s review stems from an external investigation the county commissioned last summer, which found Levent had obtained information from fellow Commissioner Cindy Jones Mills’ county email account. The 200-page report, obtained by the Herald last July, cited two instances in which Levent obtained information from Mills’ county email through then Assistant to the Board of Commissioners Carol Balcome Haag.

The investigation also cited a third instance in which Levent obtained a spreadsheet of contact information of residents who attended a county town hall through Mills’ email and sent the information to a personal email account.

Haag testified in the investigation that Levent suggested he did not need to submit an Open Records Request for the information because he was a member of the Board of Commissioners. The county’s Director of Personnel Services, Pat Carson, testified during the Ethics Panel hearing that Haag told her Levent had made the comment. Carson said during the hearing that any commissioner’s emails should be made through an Open Records Request.

Levent, who was not interviewed during the external investigation last year, said at the ethics hearing he never instructed Haag to access Mills’ email account, and he was not aware, at the

From left, Thomas Bever, representative for the complainant, and commissioners Todd Levent and Laura Semanson speak during the Ethics Panel hearing last week. time, the source of the information was her email.

Levent also testified information he received from Haag contained an Excel spreadsheet of unredacted personal contact information of attendees of a 2018 county town hall meeting.

That list was later forwarded to Brandy Bevis, who was campaigning for the Board of Commissioners seat currently held by Cindy Jones Mills. A political flier was later sent to those email addresses by Bevis, who testified she did not request the list but later used it to distribute the political material.

If an Open Records request had been made for the file, personal identifying information, including email addresses, would have been redacted.

Levent said he was unaware the Excel file was among several that were attached in the email. It was not something he asked for, he said. He sent the information, he said, after a phone call he received from Bevis about her qualifying for the seat, and the two had a discussion on finding information related to the wastewater facility.

Levent said he sent some of the emails he received from Haag to his personal account because he has a larger computer screen at home to read files, he can print them easily there and

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many county officials were working out of the office due to COVID-19.

When questioned by the complainant’s legal representative, Levent said he knew how to perform an Open Records request and had done so in the past while in office.

The Ethics Panel’s proverbial slap on the wrist brings an end to a near yearlong saga that has racked up significant costs for taxpayers. According to an Open Records request presented as evidence during the hearing by Levent’s representation, the investigation and

further actions had already come with a price tag of about $265,000 by January.

Semanson argued those costs were on the back of Levent who has drawnout the process.

“How much is integrity worth? How much is honesty worth?” Semanson said.

Following the investigation last summer, the Board of Commissioners voted to censure Levent and move the case to the Ethics Panel. Last November, the ethics panel voted to move the issue to last week’s evidentiary hearing.

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Applicant withdraws request to annex land into Cumming

By JOE PARKER joe@appenmediagroup.com FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — County officials breathed a sigh of relief last week when they learned a request to annex 21 acres into the City of Cumming had been withdrawn by the applicant.

On the heals of the withdrawal, the Board of Commissioners voted to rescind its letter of opposition, effectively killing the proposal.

Corridor Properties had previously requested to annex two parcels totaling 21 acres along Antioch Road contiguous with two other tracts previously acquired by the City of Cumming.

The proposal called to rezone the site from A1, agricultural district, to highway business designation to include a contractor business, including an office, shop and a storage yard for

vehicles and equipment.

In its opposition, the county argued the proposed development substantially alters the property’s current use, it does not comply with Forsyth County’s Unified Development Code and is inconsistent with its future land-use plan. It also stated the county would still be charged with maintaining Antioch Road, and it was not designed to accommodate the vehicles the business would use.

District 1 Commissioner Molly Cooper, who represents the area, previously said the proposal was “the wrong product for the wrong place.”

The withdrawal was welcome news for the county officials, who have opposed several annexation requests by the City of Cumming in the last two years.

While Forsyth County can formally object to annexation requests, its

chances for success are limited. When the county opposes an annexation, an arbitration panel is formed between county and City of Cumming officials.

However, County Attorney Ken Jarrard said these panels are not created to block annexations, rather to mitigate their impacts.

Though the latest request has been nixed, it did recently spur a larger conversation over how the county can keep residents informed of annexation requests for properties in their backyards.

Commission Chairwoman Cindy Jones Mills told the board at a recent work session she would like to see the county hold town hall meetings for all annexation requests. Because the proposals go through the City of Cumming’s public participation process, she said most neighbors aren’t privy to the requests.

Forsyth County to centralize vaccine distribution at Lanier Tech

By JOE PARKER joe@appenmediagroup.com FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Lanier Technical College’s Forsyth campus will serve as the county’s COVID-19 vaccination hub. The Forsyth County Board of Commissioners approved a contract March 4 to rent a portion of the facility for distribution beginning March 17 for up to 57 days.

The county began its mass vaccination events in January at two locations — First Redeemer Church on Peachtree Parkway and Browns Bridge Church off Browns Bridge Road. When doses have been available, one vaccination event has been held at each location each week since.

“The churches have been wonderful,” Emergency Management Director Chris Grimes said. “We could not have done the last eight weeks without them.”

The county’s new agreement will centralize its vaccination efforts, which are being held in coordination with the Georgia Department of Health.

Grimes said approximately 11,600

people had received a vaccination dose through the county’s vaccination events as of March 4.

Grimes said the centralized location will allow the county to concentrate its efforts and can also cut down GRIMES on wear and tear to equipment that is associated with moving the items to the two current vaccination locations.

The events will begin taking place at the college’s conference center. A schedule for the vaccine rollout at Lanier Tech will be finalized soon.

Grimes said Forsyth County’s vaccination support system was a major factor in the county’s eligibility for federal and state emergency agency financial aid. The board also approved an agreement with FEMA at the March 4 meeting that will provide financial support for some of the county’s expenditures related to COVID-19.

The Lanier Tech vaccination site joins a trend of new locations where thousands are expected to receive

doses across the state.

Gov. Brian Kemp announced March 3 that five additional state-run vaccination sites are expected to come online March 17. They include sites in Chatham County, Ware County, Washington County, Muscogee County and at the LakePoint Sports Complex in Bartow County.

The state has already begun to administer doses at four other locations — the Delta Airlines Museum in Fulton County with other locations in Bibb, Dougherty and Habersham counties.

The sweep of new vaccination sites comes on the heals of an expected increase in available doses with FDA approving the Johnson & Johnson vaccine for emergency use. The company’s vaccine is the first deemed effective with a single dose.

Grimes has told the board on several occasions the county will only move forward on a scheduled vaccination event if its has secured enough doses. Last month, the county was forced to cancel events because it could not secure enough doses because of limited supply.

Chamber launches initiative to thank local healthcare workers

By JOE PARKER joe@appenmedia.com FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Healthcare workers have faced unprecedented stress, strain and risk in the last year, and the Forsyth County Chamber of Commerce is seeking the community’s help to save those on the frontlines of the fight against COVID-19.

On March 3, the Chamber announced its “FoCo4Frontliners” initiative, and community activist Mary Helen McGruder outlined the program to the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners at its March 4 meeting.

The program was launched to raise funds to purchase a FoCo4Frontliners T-shirt for each of the 3,200 employees at Northside Hospital Forsyth. McGruder said a few ideas to show thanks were considered, and hospital employees were in favor of the shirts, which have been approved by the hospital for employees to wear in lieu of scrub tops.

The program is also seeking to earn enough money to distribute $25 gift cards to all hospital employees.

“We’re just so grateful to our hospital employees and all they’ve done,” McGruder said, stating the pandemic has been a trying time for all, but especially for those in the healthcare community.

Businesses, civic organizations, homeowners associations and individuals are all invited to contribute to show collective support for those supporting Forsyth County’s most vulnerable during the pandemic. Donations to the FoCo4Frontliners fund can be made by visiting www.FoCo4Frontliners.org. Donations are being managed by the North Georgia Community Foundation to ensure that all donations are tax deductible.

Donations can be made via check and should be made out to the North Georgia Community Foundation and marked for the FoCo4Frontliners fund. Checks should be mailed to; North Georgia Community Foundation, 615 Oak Street, Ste. 1500, Gainesville, GA, 30401.

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County crosses fingers for favorable decision in Water Wars Supreme Court ruling could lay groundwork for Lake Lanier access

By JOE PARKER joe@appenmediagroup.com FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — As the latest chapter in the Tri-State Water Wars unfolds before the Supreme Court, Forsyth County stands ready, hoping for a decision that will slake its decades-long thirst for access to Lake Lanier.

Forsyth County Deputy County Manager Tim Merritt says the county is banking that a ruling in the latest fight over water from the ApalachicolaChattahoochee-Flint water basin, which includes Lake Lanier, will allow the county to begin pulling water from the major source.

The most recent litigation went before the U.S. Supreme Court for oral arguments last month, continuation of a decades-long bout between Georgia and Florida.

Though a significant portion of Lake Lanier lies within Forsyth County, it has been unable to pull water directly from the source that provides drinking water to millions. Forsyth County buys raw water from the City of Cumming, one of a handful of cities and counties that were granted access before the litigation began almost 40 years ago.

The last time Forsyth County negotiated a water contract with Cumming was in 2012, and it was a heated affair that dragged on for months.

In January, Forsyth County was included in a contract between the state and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that would allow it permanent water storage at Lake Lanier based on a 2012 Supreme Court decision that water storage was an intended use of the lake.

However, the county cannot pull directly from the lake until granted permits from the Georgia Environmental Protection Division and the Corps of Engineers, which has proven the holdup for the last decade.

“All I know is they have just not felt comfortable giving us the permits we needed given the water wars lawsuit,” Merritt said.

With a ruling pending from the High Court, Merritt is confident Forsyth County will be able to secure those permits and construct its own water intake facility, eliminating its dependence on the City of Cumming.

The light at the end of the tunnel is still far downstream, though. The county

might secure the permits in 18 to 24 months, but Merritt said that could be an ambitious timetable. Once permits are in hand, the county will have to source a specialized contractor and create plans.

“This is probably about a five-toseven-year project,” he said. “There’s a chance we could get it done a little faster, we just don’t know enough at this point.”

Once finalized, though, the benefits will be three-fold for residents, he said.

One of the advantages is having redundancy for water supply.

“This would give both Forsyth County and Cumming a second intake, so to speak,” Merritt said. “Although Forsyth County would primarily use its new intake and Cumming would primarily use its existing intake, we would have the ability to connect the county system and the city system. So, if we have a problem, say a lightning strike at an intake structure that damages the water pump…we would have the ability for the city to call us and ask if [the county] could pump [Cumming] raw or finished water.”

Merritt said the reverse could also be true.

“Redundancy is a very big issue for us and our customers,” Merritt said. “We need to be a reliable water supplier.”

Other benefits include improved water quality and long-term costs, both for water customers and the county.

“Based on some preliminary work, we believe [a water intake structure] would pay for itself and allow us to save money in less than 10 years of operation,” Merritt said.

County officials have already highlighted where a potential intake facility could be constructed, which is not being revealed at this time. What that structure may look like is still in question. Merritt said one option would be a pier-type facility, or the county could use a newer design which bores under the lake and does not require an abovewater structure.

While much doubt remains about the county’s water future, Merritt said he’s excited to see things coming to an end.

“We have a good idea about what we are working towards, and while we don’t have a lot of [details], it is a project we need to do for the benefits,” he said.

ForsythHerald.com | Forsyth Herald | March 11, 2021 | 7

“I swear to God he thinks this is his house and his shop but that’s how it’s supposed to work,” ERICKSON, Pop’s Coffee Co. 8 | Forsyth Herald | March 11, 2021

Pop’s Coffee combines motorcycles and caffeine

By ZOE SEILER newsroom@appenmedia.com ROSWELL, Ga. — Walk into Pop’s Coffee Co., and the first thing you see is the large barista area on the left and a wall of motorcycle helmets on the right.

The coffee shop sold its first cup of Joe four months ago and has sold over 10,000 cups since, owner Gordon “Gordy” Erickson said.

Erickson also owns Pop’s Garage Fabrication which shares the same building. The garage opened in 2013 and is a high-end, custom and regular service restoration motorcycle business.

Erickson met Colin McDonald, whose family has become a second family, when he started working at the motorcycle shop, too. The pair are now business partners, owning both the motorcycle and coffee shops.

Erickson said he wanted to create more foot traffic to the motorcycle shop, and, though he is allergic to caffeine, he liked McDonald’s idea of opening a coffee shop.

“People find comfort in a cup of coffee, and with that comfort hopefully it would lead them to kind of explore what we have to offer next door,” McDonald said. “That’s worked really well for us.”

Erickson describes the space as 10,000 square feet of entertainment, and he enjoys watching customers’ reactions when they walk into either store and show others around.

“I watch them, and it’s kind of like they’re taking credit for the shop, which makes me feel like, wow, that’s the best thing we could ever do. It’s kind of turning into their shop,” Erickson said.

The helmet wall has 40 spots avail-

MIKE MOON/EMBER STUDIO

Gordon “Gordy” Erickson and Colin McDonald opened Pop’s Coffee Co. in Novermber to create more foot traffic to Pop’s Garage Fabrication. able, and customers can bring one of their own for display. One regular customer of both shops brought in a helmet with an array of stickers.

“Every sticker was one his dad gave him when he was a kid growing up,” Erickson said. “The helmet’s like a family heirloom. I let him stand on the counter and put it exactly where he wanted.”

The pair are also working on a motorcycle for the customer.

“I swear to God he thinks this is his

house and his shop but that’s how it’s supposed to work,” Erickson said.

Pop’s Coffee Co. strives to source their products locally, from the coffee beans to the produce. Their coffee and chai teas are from Atlanta, they get milk from a creamery in Clermont, and the produce comes from a greenhouse in Jasper.

The most popular drinks so far are the honey cinnamon latte and peanut butter mocha, which the owners say

tastes like Reese’s pieces. They also serve a house blend roast called Eyes Open.

The menu offers a variety of food items such as salads, a yogurt parfait, muffins, a waffle biscuit and empanadas from Belen de la Cruz, an Argentinian bakery in Johns Creek.

“I think what helps us a lot is that we are craftsmen, and we pay attention to a level of detail that a lot of people miss on our motorcycles, and that for me is the same approach that I take with our food,” McDonald said.

Pop’s Coffee Co. is open for dine-in, and all of the tables are spread at least 6 feet apart. All employees wear masks and constantly wipe down hard surfaces with a disinfecting spray.

Plexiglass barriers have been installed in front of all order and pickup areas. Additionally, there are hand sanitizer stations at all entrances, bathrooms and trash cans.

Pop’s Coffee Co. is at 11444 Alpharetta Highway in Roswell. It is open Monday through Saturday from 7 p.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

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You can feel more secure knowing that the physical location and life safety elements of the licensed Assisted Living Community creates a much safer environment in the event of an emergency.

You are assured that the delivery of medications are of the highest standards due to having Certified Medication Aides, compared to communities without this license where anyone of any training level can deliver and manage medications.

You have the greatest possibility of never having to move again, allowing you to spend the rest of your life with all of your friends in an environment that you love.

Oaks at Suwanee Creek is currently offering specials and scheduling tours, so please reach out

today for more information by calling 470-235-5300 or emailing benita.watts@oaksseniorliving.com. Make sure to like and follow their Facebook page as well!

Committed to Serving with Faith, Knowledge, Compassion and Love Newly installed GPS air purification systems with technology that attacks and kills pathogens such as viruses, mold spores and bacteria, in addition to reducing particles that bother those with allergies and neutralizes odors. Vaccine clinics being held on March 19, April 9 and April 30

HEALTH & WELLNESS • Sponsored Section

Recuperative In-Home Care Can be the Key to a Healthier Future You’ve had a planned procedure or were faced with emergency surgery. The next critical step is a successful recovery, and to understand that people heal more slowly and can have more complications with age. It’s important to take stock of the care you’ll need when you get home, whether it’s directly from the hospital or from a rehabilitation center.

At Home Helpers of North Atlanta, we understand the difference a proactive level of Care Management can make for a faster and more successful recovery.

The transition home can be very challenging as your mobility, health and emotional needs have changed. With current COVID concerns, your support network must also be safe and appropriately use Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

Juggling physical or occupational therapy visits, managing nutritional needs and therapy homework can be overwhelming. Home visits from Physical or Occupational Therapists typically happen one to three times a week. We know the hardest part for you or an older loved one can be carrying out therapy homework instructions daily and exercising faithfully, but this can determine your mobility and best quality of life going forward. Here are some things to consider on your recovery journey.

Your doctor will do a medical assessment to determine your in-home care needs, and what level of assistance you’ll need with the activities of daily living (ADL’s). With in-home care, you may be discharged directly home. If you enter a rehabilitation facility, that assessment will happen when you’re ready to be dis-

charged. In either case, work with your in-home care agency to determine a plan of care in advance.

There are five areas of integrated wellness for a holistic approach we believe must be considered for the best level of recuperation. The safety of your current situation, whether hydration and nutrition needs are being met, what level of daily physical and therapeutic activity should be followed, your mental health, and levels of social and emotional support. The question we constantly seek to answer is where are you today, and what can we do to move your recuperation forward?

Your skilled Home Helpers caregiver can take notes at therapist visits, help you follow a therapy homework schedule, remember any restrictions you should follow, help around the house, assist with personal care, infection control and medication reminders. They can provide specialized support for stroke recuperation, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, etc.

Change is constant as you recover, and it’s important to adapt quickly to your situation. It’s not enough to set up a care plan and make a wonderful match of heart centered caregiver to client. It takes proactive attention to detail by a team with depth and skill. At Home Helpers we have added Care Managers who form a critical communication and coordination link with you and your family as needs arise.

We’re here to help – from six hours a day to 24/7 and live-in care. For a free consultation please call Home Helpers of North Atlanta at (678) 430-8511.

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HEALTH & WELLNESS • Sponsored Section

Genetic Editing (Part I) Brought to you by: Michelle Wilson, Wilson Legal, PC This past weekend on February 19, 2021, the Wallstreet Journal published and written by Walter Isaacson about gene editing. Part MICHELLE of my job is helping WILSON parents’ wishes come true for their children including children with special needs.

The article talks about one such child with sickle cell disease who believed that his compassion and patience came from the trial of growing up with the disease. Scientists have cured one woman with sickle cell disease using this genetic editing method to change her DNA removing the gene that causes the disease. The boy was asked years later (now that he ready for kids of his own) whether he would want to avoid passing the gene for sickle cell disease to his children.

He said that he would. I have parents whose children are affected by a genetic condition from birth. Would they have wanted to be able to give their children a life without disability

if they could? Some have said yes. Let us know what you think. Email us at: info@wilson-legal.com.

Here at Wilson Legal we stay up to date on the current break through news that impacts our families. Our families continue to receive value long after they first see us because we continue to care and continue to research and apply what we learn to our solutions. If you want the best solution for your family, don’t you want a law firm like that?

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HEALTH & WELLNESS • Sponsored Section

Want legs that stand up to summer activities and look good while doing so?

Brought to you by: Premier Dermatology and Mohs Surgery of Atlanta Many times, cosmetically bothersome spider veins are the tip of the iceberg.

Between 33 and 50% of the time, patients with spider veins have underlying varicose veins or venous insufficiency. If someone has varicose veins, leg discomfort, leg swelling or other signs of deeper vein disease, then medical treatments are often useful to ensure that cosmetic treatments are successful. If underlying vein disease is present, medically significant venous disease can be a driver of cosmetic spider vein development. Treating underlying varicose vein disease can help make cosmetic spider vein treatments more durable and successful.

If you are sure that you only have spider veins (little purple or red netted cluster of tiny veins) and have no signs of any underlying vascular issues (tired, achy legs, swelling of the ankles, discoloration of the skin at the feet or ankles, restless leg syndrome, blue bulging veins etc.) then you can treat the spider veins with sclerotherapy or laser treatments – sometimes a combination of both.

Sclerotherapy is a method by which a vein expert injects a medical solution into a vein. The solution irritates the interior of the vein, which undergoes closure and becomes invisible as blood no longer can fill or pass through the vein.

Lasers, such as the 1064nm Nd:Yag used in our practice are very effective at eliminating the spider veins that are too small to be injected with sclerotherapy.

How many treatments are needed and how long do you wait between treatments? With each of the treatments listed above, a reasonable goal is that 75% of the veins treated will resolve with each treatment. Therefore, more than one treatment or type of treatment may be needed. Patients should wait roughly 6 to 8 weeks between treatments. The tiniest spider veins can sometimes resolve in as little as 3-4 weeks but many require 6 weeks for resolution, and larger reticular and varicose veins can take several months to resolve. The larger the vein, the longer the resolution takes.

If you find yourself experiencing any of the symptoms of vein disease, then your path to a cure is quite different.

The first step is to visit a physician and discuss you vein disease. This is critical, as insurance companies require proof/ documentation of a vein complaint along with several specific questions answered about how your vein issues are affecting your quality of life. This first documentation of a vein complaint is Day 1.

In order to get your vein treatments covered by insurance, most insurance

companies mandate that a patient try “conservative therapy” for 90 days before any medical vein procedure will be covered. Conservative therapy consists of over the counter pain medication, leg elevation, exercise and medical grade compression stockings. If it seems likely that vein disease is causing the patient’s symptoms, an ultrasound will be ordered. The ultrasound provides a map of the venous system and a diagram of which vein or veins are diseased and would benefit from treatment. Medical records and ultrasound report are sent to an insurance carrier for review and prior authorization is requested.

(Prior authorization is not a guarantee of coverage, and if you know a politician, please ask them to fix that!)

Often, a patient’s varicose veins can connect with one another. That means that treating one cluster of varicose veins can sometimes result in multiple adjacent varicose veins also going away.

It is often in the patient’s best interest to space out treatments to minimize the number of treatments needed to achieve a cure.

So, as you can see, a patient who has never tried “conservative therapy” and who has multiple varicose veins needing treatment may require 5 months or more to complete treatment given 1) a 90 day conservative therapy waiting period, 2) a prior authorization review, and 3) a month or two of spaced treatments. Cosmetic treatments would then typically follow medical treatments if desired. This can all be greatly accelerated if a patient has already completed conservative therapy before their first consultation with their physician or if the patient is not going through insurance for treatment.

A final useful tip is that the spring and summer are still a great time for a first meeting with a vein specialist. Given the potentially lengthy timeline outlined above, a spring or summer appointment can help ensure that treatments are completed in the same calendar year. This helps eliminate the danger of having to reach a deductible more than once.

If you or a loved one has venous disease or spider veins, know that advanced, minimally invasive, safe and highly effective treatments are available.

Seek out a vein specialist who is a member of the American College of Phlebology (ACP) and who has taken and passed the board exam of the American Board of Venous and Lymphatic Medicine (ABVLM). Dr. Brent Taylor is a committed and caring vein specialist. Consider calling Dr. Taylor at Premier Dermatology and Mohs Surgery of Atlanta today.

SCHOOLS

ForsythHerald.com | Forsyth Herald | March 11, 2021 | 15

Lawmakers debate expansion of school voucher program Education groups oppose use of public school funds

By CANDY WAYLOCK candy@appenmedia.com ATLANTA, Ga. — The debate over public school funds converted to private school vouchers is again taking center stage in the General Assembly as lawmakers debate the issue of school choice.

In the closing days of the 40-day session, lawmakers are considering two bills that could expand the Georgia Special Needs Scholarship to include significantly more students, and millions more tax dollars.

Education advocacy groups have mobilized their members to oppose the legislation, which they say diverts funding from public schools and has never been evaluated for its effectiveness.

A statement from the Georgia PTA said use of public funds for private schools “promotes division without diversity, creates division and separation within the community and violates

the mandate of separation of church and state.”

More than 300 private schools participate in the special needs scholarship program. The vast majority are religious-based schools.

The special needs scholarship was first passed in 2007 to provide students with disabilities vouchers that could be used for private school tuition. The program has proven popular, growing from 900 students in its first year at a cost of $5.5 million, to more than 5,000 students last year awarded nearly $34 million in scholarships.

Currently under discussion by legislators are two bills to expand the voucher program for more students next year. House Bill 60, sponsored

by Rep. Wes Cantrell (R-Woodstock), and Senate Bill 47 sponsored by Steve Gooch (R-Dahlonega) will open the eligibility for students with a wider range of disabilities.

Under the current scholarship program, students must have an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) which defines “qualifying disabilities” established under federal law. Those conditions include autism, intellectual issues or physical disability that affects the ability to learn.

Both HB60 and SB47 would expand eligibility for vouchers to any student with a 504 plan, which is much broader than an IEP, and covers many factors not covered under an IEP. A 504 plan primarily deals with protections from discrimination in learning, such as allowing more testing time for students with attention disorders.

Analysis from the Professional Association of Georgia Educators determined “504 plans are also granted for conditions that are temporary, treatable and/or can be readily managed in public schools particularly with assistance from nurses.”

Under Cantrell’s legislation, any student covered by a 504 plan would be eligible for a savings account equal to the student’s portion of state funding at their zoned school. The school will keep any local and federal funding it earns.

“This bill has been crafted with public schools at heart,” wrote Cantrell, a former schoolteacher, in a guest column for the Georgia House newsletter. “Research shows public schools benefit in states that support educational choice.’

The Senate version of the bill also opens the scholarship to students with

504 plans, including students who received preschool special education, or who have been adopted or placed in foster care within the previous year.

In an address on the Senate floor Gooch said the expansion of the scholarship is necessary for students with extra needs who are not well-served by public schools.

However, similar to the current special needs scholarship, there is no provision in either proposed legislation that the receiving school provide speSolution cial education services to the student.

T E E M L I O N A F A R

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Y E S

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T U N U R E N N S E S I R O L E G L E A L O N W I N E K E W

F A U N A

O R M S W A I T N I T E N E T M I M P S L U A U L I D P E N S I T V A L E T D S L Y E R A O B O E S T U B V A S E P U P S E R O S A P T

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Camps Available for Grades K-12. Camps run Monday-Friday from 9 am-3 pm. Aftercare available for summer camps until 6 pm.

16 | March 11, 2021 | Forsyth Herald | ForsythHerald.com

OPINION

Hiking by the number at Allenbrook STEVE HUDSON Get Outside Georgia, aa4bw@comcast.net

Face it. This is an awkward time of year if you enjoy walking around in the outdoors.

Some days, the weather is great and the hiking is outstanding. Those are great days to put on the hiking boots and take to your favorite trail.

Other days, conditions turn on a dime and it gets cold and wet.

Those are good days to stay inside and drink hot chocolate, and that’s not a bad thing to do sometimes

either.

Yesterday was a “good hiking” day. So, I put on the boots and set off to see what I would see. The only trouble was that it was late by the time I got going (darn those chores!), and so I only had a couple of hours.

When time is short, one of my favorite places to hike is at Allenbrook, part of the Vickery Creek Unit of the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area.

The drive to the site is short, and the trail is scenic and varied and not too long for a quick excursion.

The Allenbrook tract is tucked in between Roswell Road (Ga. 9) and Big (Vickery) Creek. If you’re going down the hill from Roswell toward the river, the parking area is on your left. But it’s hard to spot, and you’ll miss it if you’re not careful.

Once parked, the first thing you’ll see is Allenbrook, a red brick structure dating from the 1850s. Back then it served as a residence and office for the manager of nearby Ivy Woolen Mill, and in a stroke of good fortune, the building was spared by Union troops. The story goes that as troops approached, the resident manager

raised a French flag in an attempt to save the house and the nearby mills. He was partially successful; the troops burned the mill, but they left the house alone.

I do a little math. The house, I determine, is approaching 170 years old.

I play with numbers some more as I make my way down the first of two sets of timber-and-earth steps set into the hillside. I count them as I descend (if you’re interested, there are 42 steps in the upper set and 34 in the bottom set).

The steps take me to the main trail. Straight ahead, a third set of steps (22 this time) leads to the top of Lover’s Rock (careful…no handrail). But I turn right and follow the trail toward the creek, which (since there are as yet no leaves to block the view) I can clearly see far below.

After a while, I come to a little wood landing. Below it, more steps take me down a steep spot. There are four flights of steps here, with 12, 5, 14 and 10 steps, and at the bottom is the creekside trail.

I turn left, walking upstream toward Lover’s Rock.

It’s neat from the top, but it’s spectacular from below.

Since I’m in a numbers frame of mind I decide to count the paces it takes to get there, but I get distracted watching an otter in the creek and lose count. Oh well.

Another day for that one.

After a while I reach the rock. I hang around for a while, taking some pictures. But the light is fading.

Soon, I turn and begin the hike back.

On the way back I notice something that I had seen but not really noticed before. An enormous tree (I think it was some sort of oak, but I’m not a very good tree guy either) had fallen across the trail and blocked the way. Someone had come along and cut out a section to open up the trail again (thank you!).

And the cut log was right there, right beside the trail, rings and all.

I’m not a tree expert, like I said, but I do love to count tree rings. And that’s when it dawned on me that this was a brand-new fallen tree. The most recent ring would thus be the current ring, right?

So I could start there and count back to see how old the tree was. Did I have time? Sure.

I started counting. Most rings were clearly visible, so it was not too hard to do. 2020…2019…

After a while I got to 2000, the turn of the millennium. I kept going.

Then, there! The year my youngest was born, then the middle child, then the oldest, and then the year Ann and I married.

Numbers…

I kept going. There was the year I graduated. There was the year of the moon landing. There was the year I was born.

More rings, more numbers…

I kept counting. My goal now was the year that my dad was born. He’s in his mid-90s now, and I was getting close, but I was running out of rings. Would I make it? I kept counting, and there it was! That ring right there was the year my dad appeared on this earth.

My, but a lot has changed since then.

It was getting dark fast, so I picked up the pace on the hike back to the truck. And as I drove home, I thought about all those numbers and especially about the ones reflected there in that tree, what they had meant and what they mean and what they might mean in the future.

It was a good drive home.

Some quiet, some quiet, my kingdom for some quiet Working from home the past year — God, it’s really been that long — certainly has its advantages.

For instance, my commute has been lowered from 45 minutes to about 4.5 steps, which has JOE PARKER probably increased Editor joe@appenmediagroup.com my life expectancy by eliminating the strain on my heart from being forced to putz along behind someone traveling at 31 mph on Arnold Mill Road.

That commute cutdown also allows for that extra half hour or so of sleep, which, at the time of my alarm clock blaring, I value more than any of my worldly possessions.

There is also the convenience of wardrobe. My daily outfit could have been sourced from the “Guy Going To The Gym Who Hasn’t Done Laundry In Several Weeks” collection. Those stretchy waistbands are valued because with the

lack of exercise and always being just a few steps from the fridge, the seams of my pre-pandemic pants seemingly scream in shock whenever I try to wear them.

Speaking of appearances, when you’re not seeing people outside of your household every day, you can let yourself go a bit. My wife may not see this as an advantage to working from home, considering I wasn’t much to look at beforehand, but hey, gotta find your own wins sometimes.

My hair is beginning to resemble that time when I was a freshman in high school and wanted to see what it looked like if I let it grow long. Turns out, like a sheepdog sitting on my head. My hair can seemingly defy gravity, growing outwards instead of down, which eventually makes me resemble Toad from the Mario Brothers games.

There are many other advantages to having your home double as your office, but there are also some downsides. And considering my 20-month-old daughter is currently kicking a tambourine while

repeatedly pressing a button on a noisemaking toy, while yelling, and a kids show with songs so cutesy they induce rainbow vomit is playing in the background as my wife takes a work call, I’d say a particular pitfall is a lack of quiet.

Never in my life have I held silence in such a high regard. And never will I have the same kind of disdain for toy manufacturers.

These engineers apparently use busy airport runways as guides for the kind of decibel output their products should have. The kinds of people who view the 1883 eruption of the Krakatoa caldera — which many scientists consider to be the loudest “sound” ever experienced on Earth that could reportedly be heard from 1,900 miles away — as aspirational.

Simultaneously, they seem to be having a competition on which company can produce the most annoying sounds and songs. By my vote, they are all winning.

It would be a bit more bearable if my daughter had fewer toys, but thanks to relatives, she has about the same number of playthings as galaxies in the

observable universe. And boy, don’t my parents look happily vengeful when handing her some new toy that has a speaker larger than those used in concert venues.

Exacerbating the audio onslaught is my daughter’s own noise output. It just doesn’t seem feasible that something this small could produce so much noise, akin to a field mouse squeaking at the volume of the Saturn V rocket takeoff.

She’s also at the stage where her needs and emotions have far outpaced her vocabulary, so the next best option, according to her, is to scream interminably.

While working from home is fantastic in many aspects, I now seek out quiet with the same fervor as food, shelter, love and beer. So, if that next round of stimulus checks come in, I know which industry I will be boosting — the soundproof audiometric booth sector.

Apparently one can be had for about $6,000, and that sounds like money well spent.

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OPINION

When less is more Back when my sole responsibility in life was to “learn” (oh, glorious days), I remember writing a high school paper on organizational theory and reading about an amazing social scientist and Nobel RAY APPEN Prize winner named Publisher Emeritus Herbert Simon. That ray@appenmediagroup.com was so long ago, but frequently these days, I find myself remembering stuff that Simon studied and wrote about because so much of what I see today seems to beckon back to him.

One of the many things he is remembered for is his theory of “bounded reality” and how we process information and make decisions. He theorized a lot about the role and impact that the amount of relevant information played in any decision-making process. That is, did more information mean a better decision? I think he ended up concluding that humans have a very finite capacity to process information and that, no, more information did not necessarily lead to “better decisions.” In fact, he speculated, that often information overload led to worse decisions because we stopped thinking once we were overloaded and just settled for a decision that worked “well enough” within our emotional and intellectual constraints to process the information at hand.

My favorite quote from Simon is: “In an information-rich world, the wealth of information means a dearth of something else: a scarcity of whatever it is that information consumes.

What information consumes is rather obvious: it consumes the attention of its recipients. Hence a wealth of information creates a poverty of attention and a need to allocate that attention efficiently among the overabundance of information sources that might consume it.” Woah!

An excess of one thing creates a shortage of something else. Everything is linked. As my D.O. told me once, “it’s always something.” Everything has a cost. But sometimes we just miss that entirely. I think we get too caught up in life and fail to see the life we live. And maybe that is the silver lining of this pandemic and the crushing restraints it has imposed upon all of us. It’s making us slow down enough to process things, to reevaluate, to recalibrate our lives and our aspirations and priorities.

Maybe it’s just my imagination, but I think I am seeing that almost every day, and we collectively muddle through this, this maelstrom — this Cesar crossing the Rubicon moment in time.

So, I think that maybe a lot of us are reprioritizing because we’re sort of done. We’re grasping, embracing small, beautiful things — like, well, delivering gifts to people just to make them smile

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or singing a song to someone just because we can — or can’t! It seems like everywhere I turn I am finding more examples of this grace, this restart. I was going to write about a few of these “small things,” about this retreat from “more, bigger, faster, prettier, more distraction, less time, more connections but fewer friends, so I asked a friend to give me a short description of the “small thing” that he and his wife Lisa have been doing. I was going to gather a few more to include, but after I read what Tom wrote for me, I decided that was enough. He did a great job and what he wrote says it all. So here is my column that I didn’t write — written by my friend Tom. Enjoy.

“Ray, Thanks for your interest in our story with Lasagna Love.

Yesterday was a good day. Lisa and I had 8 lasagnas to make. A trip to the store for ingredients. Prep and bake lasagna (and bread and cookies!). Deliver to local families. And, then, relax.

Lasagna Love started less than one year ago, founded by Rhiannon Menn, who created it to give families a bit of extra care during COVID times. It really resonated with us when Lisa saw an online post in January and we thought “Sure, we can make lasagna!”

We’ve experienced how simply receiving a home-cooked meal eases burdens and worries and how much we’ve appreciated neighbors coming together for us. It resonates with others as

Arrests: Continued from Page 2 driving while license suspended or revoked, expired or no license plate or decal and tag light required.

Michael Cole Ford, 23, of Roseman Landing, Cumming, was arrested Feb. 12 on Pilgrim Mill Road for DUI and failure to maintain lane.

Christine June Heath, 47, of Sunrise Lane, Cumming, was arrested Feb. 12 on Ga. 400 for DUI and failure to maintain lane.

Carey Elizabeth Pelt, 38, of East Addison Drive, Alpharetta, was arrested Feb. 12 on McFarland Parkway for DUI and possession of open alcohol container by driver.

William John Larson, 48, of Cagle

well, as in the 10 months since its first deliveries, some 20,000 families across the U.S. (~400 in Georgia) have joined with Lasagna Love to provide dinner.

Families have needed to manage employment challenges, illness and worklife-children-education balance like never before this past year, and the little grace of a lasagna makes things a bit brighter.

Although the encounters are set up to be contact-less, we’ve had folks open their doors to us and been able to love from afar. You don’t do it for the gratitude, but while we’re providing a much-needed meal, we’re getting back love and gratitude. It’s an example of mutual kindness which just makes this world a bit brighter.

It’s also a great family activity for kids to help with. Children are often the best cheese sprinklers and cookie tasters in the family, and it’s a great way for them to learn about helping others in our communities.

The full story and how to get involved is at https://www.lasagnalove. org/. Become a Lasagna Mama/Papa/ Family. Collaborate with partners in need. Request a lasagna. Love.”

Thanks Tom, you nailed it much better than I ever could have.

— Ray And PS: What does this more, faster, bigger, more expensive, more, more, more mindset consume? Well, what it consumes is obvious, isn’t it?

It consumes our soul.

Road SE, Fairmount, was arrested Feb. 12 on Peachtree Parkway for DUI, following too closely and possession of open alcohol container by driver.

Liana Viamonte, 58, of Samples Road, Cumming, was arrested Feb. 12 on Samples Road for DUI and improper right turn.

Samuel Bennett Ewers, 27, of Almadine Way, Cumming, was arrested Feb. 12 on Buford Highway for DUI, following too closely, too fast for conditions and expired or no license plate or decal.

Garrett Blake Britt, 23, of Robin Road, Cumming, was arrested Feb. 13 on Buford Dam Road for DUI and too fast for conditions.

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LOCAL POLITICS. LOCAL PODCAST. Georgia has proven to be the epicenter of the political world these last few months.

Catch up on all the latest under the Georgia Gold Dome and with our representatives in Washington D.C.

GEORGIA POLITICS

SPECIAL

Brenda and Julian Hamstead have transformed a Milton home over the last year, but the pandemic has caused plenty of roadblocks along the way.

Flipping houses not immune from pandemic’s impacts Local couple outlines struggles of flipping home during COVID

By JOE PARKER joe@appenmediagroup.com

Listen anywhere you download your podcasts.

MILTON, Ga. — Just a few days after ringing in the arrival of 2020, married couple and business partners Brenda and Julian Hamstead were celebrating their purchase of a home in the Trotter’s Ridge subdivision in Milton. They were excited to invest in their seventh property, their first in hometown Milton, and to breathe new life into the neglected four-bed, three-bath home on 1.6 acres before putting it back on the market.

With a bevy of upgrades slated for the home, low interest rates and the desirability of Trotter’s Ridge and Milton, the Hamsteads expected to have the home sold by May or early June.

But COVID-19 threw a pandemic-sized wrench into those plans.

“Sometimes things got so bleak, we wondered if it would ever get done,” Brenda said.

Fourteen months later, the final

Before

REALTOR.COM

upgrades and touches are still being put on the home, its progress delayed months by contractor issues, a shortage of materials and long waits for appliances. The couple is happy to see the light at the end of the tunnel, but the journey has been exasperating.

“Hope is starting to be restored again,” Brenda said.

The issue with contractors fueled most of the delays, with the couple find-

COMMUNITY

REALTOR.COM

Before

ing the “third time’s the charm.”

Their original contractor had an ill family member last February and left the country to visit their relative as potential lockdowns loomed.

“Then in March and April, it all just seized up,” Brenda said. “Things were put on hiatus, and the contractors couldn’t move forward.”

The Hamsteads faced the decision of the either abandoning ship and selling the home as it stood, or continuing with their plans despite a severely limited pool of contractors still operating or available. And when they did find available companies, the unknowns of the time resulted in widely varied bids.

Slowly over the summer some renovations were completed, but then the

SPECIAL

After

couple’s second contractor came down with a serious case of COVID-19, and again work grinded to a halt. Julian said with the contractor already behind on schedule on other projects and months passing with no significant work on the Milton home, they decided to mutually part ways with the company.

By that point, the home had become a regular item on the Trotter’s Ridge HOA agenda and email chain.

“We were generally mentioned in the HOA emails, and the update would generally be, ‘the home still looks terrible,’ but they were very understanding and being very patient,” Brenda said. “We live in Milton, and with all the projects we do, we want to contribute to the area, make it better and add value. We

ForsythHerald.com | Forsyth Herald | March 11, 2021 | 21

want to create something the people around will be proud of, and they started to understand that and saw the home start to be in a much better state.”

REALTOR.COM With Before contractor No. 3 now in on board, the project has moved forward, but not without additional delays.

“Everything we needed, windows, glass for shower SPECIAL doors, sinks, After tubs, everything was on backorder,” Julian said. “Everything was taking twice as long. We couldn’t get appliances at one point. It’s looking like things are settling down, but I still think things area a little difficult to get timely.”

With the end in sight, the couple expects renovations to be done in next 4-6 weeks, the Hamsteads have started looking to their next property to renovate with an entirely new perspective.

The neighbors also seem pleased to see the home transformed.

“Today, with a nearly completed renovation a year later, rising home val-

ues and an end in sight to COVID, we are all beyond excited for how beautiful this property turned out and are thankful the new homeowners stuck with the project and did such a wonderful job,” Jeff Ghelerter, Trotter’s Ridge HOA president said.

family owned & operated since 1928

210 Ingram Ave. Cumming, 30040 770.887.2388 ingramfuneralhome.com

Now in our 91st year Family owned and operated On site crematory • Serving all faiths Offering: Burials • Cremation • Prearrangements Out-of-state transportation

DEATH NOTICES Roswell Funeral Home Green Lawn Cemetary Faithfully Serving Families Since 1839

Lawn Cemetery.

Jerry Allen, 78, of Alpharetta, passed away March 2, 2021.

Arrangements by Roswell Funeral Home and Green

Roswell Funeral Home Gerald Green Lawn Cemetary

Beelitz, 82, of Milton, passed away February 26, 2021.

Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Director & Crematory.

Roswell Funeral Home

Faithfully Serving Families Since 1839

Green Lawn Cemetary

Nancy Rivers Thompson Blanchard, 72, passed away February 23, 2021. Arrangements

by McDonald & Son Funeral Home.

Faithfully Serving Roswell Since 1839

Carl Buren Bolling, 89, of Roswell, passed away February 28, 2021. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Director & Crematory.

Roswell Funeral Home

Green Lawn Cemetary Before Faithfully Serving Families Since 1839

Lawn Cemetery.

Michael Bramblett, 77, of Alpharetta, passed REALTOR.COM away February 26, 2021.

Arrangements by Roswell Funeral Home and Green

Roswell Funeral Home Shirley Green Lawn Cemetary

Clark, 85, of Roswell, passed away February 24, 2021.

Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Director & Crematory.

Roswell Funeral Home

Faithfully Serving Families Since 1839

Green Lawn Cemetary

Faithfully Serving Roswell Since 1839

Roswell Funeral Home Green Lawn Cemetary Faithfully Serving Families Since 1839

Lawn Cemetery.

George Ding, 63, of Alpharetta, passed away February 25, 2021.

Arrangements by Roswell Funeral Home and Green

Rebecca Ann Gorczyca, 62, of Cumming, passed away February 23, 2021. Arrangements

by McDonald & Son Funeral Home.

Roella Tinsley Hobbs, 80, of Alpharetta, passed away February 28, 2021. Arrangements

by In Their Honor of Jasper.

Vivian H. Horn, 98, of Cumming, passed away February 27, 2021.

Arrangements by Ingram Funeral Home & Crematory.

John Michael Hospodar, Jr., 86, of Cumming passed away February 27, 2021.

Arrangements by Ingram Funeral Home & Crematory.

Roswell Funeral Home Green Lawn CemetaryDoris

Gunderson Drury, 77, of Cumming, passed away February 24, 2021.

Arrangements by Ingram Funeral Home & Crematory.

Roswell Funeral Home Faithfully Serving Families Since 1839

Roswell Funeral Home Green Lawn Cemetary Faithfully Serving Families Since 1839

Green Lawn Cemetary

Faithfully Serving Roswell Since 1839

J.T. Lee, 86, of Cumming, passed away February 28, 2021. Arrangements by Ingram Funeral Home & Crematory.

Roswell Funeral Home Green Lawn Cemetary Faithfully Serving Families Since 1839

David Layne, 76, of Roswell, passed away February 24, 2021. Arrangements by Roswell Funeral Home and Green Lawn Cemetery.

Crematory.

Loy Dow Reid, 88, of Forsyth County, passed away February 25, 2021. Arrangements

by Ingram Funeral Home &

Roswell Funeral Home Green Lawn Cemetary Faithfully Serving Families Since 1839

Lawn Cemetery.

Consuelo Richardson, 75, of Roswell, passed away February 26, 2021.

Arrangements by Roswell Funeral Home and Green

Roswell Funeral Home Maxine Green Lawn Cemetary

D. Smith, 88, of Cumming and Alpharetta, passed away March 3, 2021.

Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Director & Roswell Funeral Home Crematory.

Green Lawn Cemetary Faithfully Serving Families Since 1839

Faithfully Serving Roswell Since 1839

22 | March 11, 2021 | Forsyth Herald | ForsythHerald.com

ONLINE INCLUDED C a l l t o d a y t o p l a c e y o u r a d 4 7 0 . 2 2 2 . 8 4 6 9 o r e m a i l c l a s s i f i e d s @ a p p e n m e d i a g r o u p . c o m • FA X : 7 7 0 - 4 7 5 - 1 2 1 6

Help Wanted

Transportation

Full Time

Vans

Multiple IT Position in the Duluth, GA area: Software Developers: Collaborate with management, depts and customers to identify end-user reqs & specs for N2N Illuminate & it’s features . Design algorithms, build flowcharts & write Java apps to create new software programs and systems to enhance N2N Illuminate & the suite of products. Software Quality Assurance Specialists: Provide QA support for the dvlpmnt & delivery of N2N Illuminate software products. Write & maintain test plans, scenarios, cases for SaaS software product & it’s features. Send res & indicate position to: N2N Services Inc. 3063 Peachtree Industrial Blvd. Ste. 200 Duluth, GA 30097 Full-time SEEKING WORKERS for our cleanroom manufacturing facility. Duties include operating equipment and various manufacturing tasks. Must be able to lift up to 50 lbs.

Visit aesclean.com/ production-jobs to apply

Part-time PERSONAL TRAINER Established Milton/ Alpharetta exercise studio specializing in SuperSlow training and serving mature clientele.

Enjoy meeting/working with people. Training certification preferred, Training provided. Must be interested in fitness, health and longevity.

Luis 404-545-1443.

DINING ROOMWAITERS-ASSISTANT & KITCHEN/COOKS Altobeli’s 770-6648055, altobeli_s@ hotmail.com

Bargains Household INDUSTRIAL FAN: Large brand new upright. $175. Was $289. 678-663-5953

Musical Instruments PIANO COLLECTOR Several beautiful Baby Grands & uprights.

Quality pianos at sacrifice prices. 770633-4151 BALDWIN GRAND “L” PIANO; Bench, pristine condition, wonderful tone, $17,500/ negotiable terms.

GIBSON ES347, $15,000/firm. 770-8769519

DODGE

Autos Wanted

HANDICAP

CARAVAN 2008: Braun enter-van $13,000.

conversion.

47,330

NATIONAL CLASSIFIEDS

miles.

312-718-3359

Business Services Refinance North Atlanta’s Smartest Online Refi Analysis Tool Grab your mortgage statement and complete the easy questions at www.

RefiBenefitQuiz.com to see – clearly and with details –if it’s wise for you to refi given the historically low rates in the market. * No SSN * No Phone Number * No Credit Check BankSouth Mortgage

Cars/trucks wanted!!! 2002 and newer! Any condition. Running or not. Competitive offer! Free towing! We’re nationwide! Call

Attention oxygen therapy users!

Inogen One G4 is capable of full 24/7 oxygen delivery. Only 2.8 pounds. Free info kit. Call 877-929-9587

Miscellaneous

now: 1-888-416-2330.

Education & Training Train online to do medical billing! Become a Medical Office Professional at CTI! Get trained & certified to work in months!

888-572-6790. (M-F 8-6 ET)

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Covers 350 procedures. Real insurance - not a discount plan. Get your free dental info kit! 1-888-623-3036 www. dental50plus.com/58 #6258

Medical Attention: If you or a loved one worked around the pesticide Roundup (glyphosate) for at least 2 years & has been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, you may be entitled to compensation. 855-341-5793

Life Alert. One press of a button sends help fast 24/7! At home and on the go. Mobile Pendant with GPS. Free first aid kit (with subscription.)

877-537-8817 Free brochure.

New authors wanted! Page Publishing will help selfpublish your book. Free author submission kit! Limited offer!

866-951-7214 DISH TV $64.99 For 190 Channels + $14.95 High Speed Internet. Free Installation, Smart HD DVR Included, Free Voice Remote. Some restrictions apply. Promo Expires 7/21/21.1833-872-2545 AT&T Internet. Starting at $40/ month w/12-mo agmt. 1 TB of data/mo. Ask how to bundle & SAVE! Geo & svc restrictions apply. 1-888-796-8850 Thinking about installing a new shower? American Standard makes it easy. Free design consult.1-888-674-3005 today to see how to save $1,000 on installation or visit www. newshowerdeal.com/display GENERAC Standby Generators. The weather is increasingly unpredictable. Be prepared for power outages.

Free 7-year extended warranty ($695 value!)

Schedule Free in-home assessment. 1-844-334-8353 special financing if qualified.

HughesNet Satellite Internet Ð Finally, no hard data limits!

Call Today for speeds up to 25mbps as low as $59.99/ mo! $75 gift card, terms apply.

1-844-863-4478

Miscellaneous

Cash for cars: We buy any condition vehicle, 2002 and newer. Nationwide free pick up! Call now: 1-800-864-5960.

Hearing aids! Bogo free! Highquality rechargeable Nano hearing aids priced 90% less than competitors.

Nearly invisible! 45-day money back guarantee! 833-669-5806 Directv Now. No Satellite. $40/ mo 65 Channels. Stream news, live ts, sports & on demand titles. No contract/commitment.

1-866-825-6523 The Generac PWRcell solar plus battery storage system. Save money, reduce reliance on grid, prepare for outages & power your home. Full installation services. $0 down financing option.

Request free no obligation quote.

1-855-270-3785 Eliminate gutter cleaning forever!

LeafFilter, most advanced debrisblocking protection. Schedule free estimate. 15% off Purchase.

10% Senior & Military Discounts.

Call 1-855-995-2490

Wanted to Buy !!OLD GUITARS WANTED!!

GIBSON, FENDER, MARTIN, Etc. 1930Õs to 1980Õs. TOP DOLLAR PAID. CALL TOLL FREE 1-866-433-8277 Wants to purchase minerals and other oil and gas interests.

Send details to P.O. Box 13557 Denver, Co. 80201

Miscellaneous

Prepare for unexpected power outages with a Generac home standby generator REQUEST A FREE QUOTE!

844-334-8353

Extended Warranty* A $695 Value!

FREE 7-Year

Offer valid February 15, 2020 – June 6, 2021

Special Financing Available Subject to Credit Approval.

*To qualify, consumers must request a quote, purchase, install and activate the generator with a participating dealer. Call for a full list of terms and conditions.

BOLD TYPE WILL MAKE YOUR AD STAND OUT. CALL 770-442-3278 TO PLACE AN AD

Company LLC NMLS 690971 Subject to credit and collateral approval.

ADVERTISE HERE! CALL 770-442-3278 OR EMAIL US AT CLASSIFIEDS@APPEN MEDIAGROUP.COM

Buy it, Sell it, find it!

In the Herald classIfIeds

Help Wanted Autos

Furniture

Homes

Services

®

Bargins

Household Haulers Gutters

coverIng nortH atlanta – In prInt and onlIne!

Alpharetta-Roswell Herald • Milton Herald • Johns Creek Herald • Forsyth Herald • NorthFulton.com

contact us at 770-442-3278

SERVICE DIRECTORY Art/Wallpaper

Flooring

Home Improvement

Picture Hanging: Reasonable pricing.

Satisfied customers.

Call or text Troy Smith 404-990-7506

PHILLIPS FLOORING Hardwood, laminate, carpet & tile installation and repairs. We do tile floors, showers, tub surrounds and kitchen back-splashes.

Re-grouting is also available. Call 678-8871868 for free estimate.

Phillips Home

Concrete/Asphalt

We fix ugly

DRIVEWAYS & PATIOS $150 OFF

Any job over $1500.

Driveways Patios Sidewalks Walls & Steps Slabs NEW or REPAIR Residential Or Commercial FREE ESTIMATES

Call 678-648-2010 Many local references.

Competitive rates.

McKemey Concrete

Retaining Walls Brick or Wood

Contact Ralph Rucker.

Many local references.

Honest, punctual, professional and reasonable prices!

offer

painting,

drywall, carpentry,

plumbing and electrical.

Basements

finished,

kitchen and bath rehabs.

All types flooring. Also total home rehab for

AARON’S ALL-TYPE GUTTERS Repaired and Installed. Covers, siding, soffit, facia. www.aarons-gutters. com. Senior citizen discount! 770-934-2766

house or one to sell.

Handyman Wood Rot Repair, Deck Repair and Staining.

Roof Leaks, Carpentry, Painting, Siding and Soffits. Flooring, Tile, Electrical and Plumbing.

770-262-6272.

Haulers

Bush Hogging, Clearing, Grading, Hauling, Etc. Many local references-

Call Ralph Rucker

678-898-7237

Driveway

Home Improvement

Mention this ad. Concrete driveway specialists. Driveways, Pool Decks, Patios, Walkways, Slabs. A+ BBB rating. FREE ESTIMATE. Call Rachael at 678-250-4546 to schedule a FREE Estimate. 30 years of experience. ARBOR HILLS CONSTRUCTION INC. Please note we do have a minimum charge on accepted jobs of $4,500.

We

Gutters

678-898-7237

$250 OFF NEW DRIVEWAY!

Improvement

Finegan Home Improvements LLC: License #RBQA004932.

Remodeling, handyman.

34 years experience.

Basements finished, decks, screen porches, doors, drywall, painting, flooring, custom kitchens, bathrooms.

All insurance. Paul Finegan 404-353-5611

Roofing

ROOF LEAKING? Call us for roof repair or roof replacement. FREE quotes. $200 Leak Repairs or 10% off New Roof. Affordable, quality roofing. Based in Roswell. Serving North Atlanta since 1983. Call to schedule FREE Quote: 770-284-3123. Christian Brothers Roofing

those who have a rental

ForsythHerald.com | Forsyth Herald | March 11, 2021 | 23

ROOF

ROOF TROUBLE? • Ceiling Spots • Blistering • Rotting • Buckling Spots Call For A

FREE Roof Analysis 770.744.5700

99 Top Rated • Appen Rated • BBB • Angie’s List

$500 OFF*

free estimate

Pinestraw

Roof Repair and Replacement

$200 Leak Repairs or 10% OFF New Roof

99 *Offer expires 10 days after publication

CONCRETE

CONCRETE CONCRETE DRIVEWAY SPECIALIST

delivery/installation available. Firewood available. Licensed,

McKemey concrete

insured. Angels of Earth Pinestraw and

Driveways • Patios • Walls • More

Mulch. 770-831-3612

Call or Text to

678.648.2010

Pressure Wash

Call Us For A FREE Quote Tree Services

Residential & Commercial.

Best service and most reasonable prices since 1999.

Appen-Rated 99. Home: Driveways, Fences, Decks, Home exteriors, more.

Commercial: Offices, Restaurants, Tennis Courts, Pools, Apt. Complexes, more. All Pro Pressurewash call 770-766-5566 for Mark.

Call for a FREE Estimate!

770-284-3123

*Offer expires 10 days after publication

PINESTRAW, mulch

PRESSURE WASHING

ROOF REPAIR & REPLACE

Serving North Atlanta Since 1983 Affordable Quality Roofing Based in Roswell

New Roof Purchase

Cannot combine with any other offer or discount.

Valid GA only. Present coupon AFTER getting quote.

Call 678-887-1868 for a

ROOF

COMPLETE TREE SERVICES Appen-Rated 98 Text or Call us for a FREE quote appointment.

Tree removal, Pruning, Stump grinding, Free mulch, Fully insured, Emergency 24/7 770-450-8188

$150 OFF

*

Any service over $1500

Competitive Pricing Many Local References

TREE SERVICE

30 Years Experience

NEW DRIVEWAYS

Pool Decks, Patios, Walkways, Slabs

$250 OFF*

Mention ad for $250 Off. New Driveway. Cannot combine coupons.

BBB A+ Rating

FREE ESTIMATE Call 678-250-4546 Minimum job is $4,500

ARBOR HILLS CONSTRUCTION INC.

TREE SERVICE

Tree Services

Call or Text to

770.744.2200

Call Us For A FREE Quote

99 24 hour emergency service. Licensed, insured. Workers Comp, insurance claims. 25+ years experience. Family business. Free estimates. We Love Challenges!

Yellow Ribbon Tree Experts 770-512-8733 • www.yellowribbontree.com

• Highest rated by customers • Tree removal and tree trimming

• We save trees too • Certified arborist • Licensed/insured

Angie’s List Super Service Award 2011 thru 2017

770.450.8188

Call Us For A FREE Quote

98 • Tree Removal • Tree Pruning • Stump Grinding

• Full Insured • Free Mulch • Emergency 24/7

24 | March 11, 2021 | Forsyth Herald | ForsythHerald.com

RESTAURANT

TAPROOM

Brunch • Lunch • Dinner • Takeout • Catering

678-456-8189 770-205-5512 • CherryStreetVickery.com

See Current Tap List at CherryStreetVickery.com

WEEKLY WEEKLY CELEBRATION! TION! CELEBRA 3/13 Sat. – 3/17 Sun. 3/13 - 3/17: Irish dinner menu available @ Rick Tanner’s, Irish snack menu @ Taproom 3/13:

Saturday party, Irish Brunch at Rick Tanner’s 9 AM - 1 PM. Live music in the Taproom from 2-10 PM (Luke Latimer & Crooked Wits).

3/14:

Irish Brunch @ Rick Tanner’s 9 AM-1 PM

3/17:

Taproom open @ Noon, live music 1-10 PM (Johnny Awesome & Magnolia Express)

3/20:

Irish brunch @ Rick Tanner’s

3/21:

Irish brunch @ Rick Tanner’s

Dinner:

Cornbeef & Cabbage, Irish Lamb Stew, Cornbeef Reuben, Fish & Chips, Irish bread pudding & cocktails

Brunch:

Blarney Casserole, Cornbeef hash skillet, Chef Alan’s traditional irish breakfast plate, Irish Rashers Bennie & cocktails

BRUNCH

Sat. & Sun. 9am-1pm

LUNCH & DINNER Mon-Sat 11am-10pm Sun 10am-9pm

WEEKLY WEEKLY HAPPENINGS! HAPPENINGS! 3/13:

Live Music 2 -10 PM – Johnny Awesome & Magnolia Express

3/16:

7-9 PM Adult Trivia

3/17:

Live Music 1-10 PM – Luke Latimer 1-4 PM and Crooked Wits 7-10 PM

5810 Bond Street • Cumming (at corner of Post Rd. & Majors Rd. in Vickery Village)